A variety of different articulated machines, including but not limited to wheel loaders, scrapers, motor graders, articulated trucks, and the like, may be utilized for a variety of different purposes. Such articulated machines may include individual frame members which may be pivotally coupled together in a manner to provide relative articulating movement and/or positioning between the frame members. Additionally, an operators station which may include a cab may be positioned on, within, or may be otherwise associated with one of the individual frame members of the articulated machine. Although an operator may have limited access to certain portions of the particular individual frame member proximate to the position at which the operators station and/or cab is located, accessing frame members and portions thereof remote from the frame member and operators station may be inconvenient, difficult, and/or dangerous . An operator may need such access to perform activities including but not limited to inspection, cleaning, maintenance, and/or servicing of these various components of the articulated machine. The various orientations or articulated positions between the individual frame members as well as the large sizes of many such articulated machines may further complicate such access to portions of the frame members.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,050 B2 (the '050 patent) to Brockway discloses a swing-away stair assembly which facilitates movement of the stair assembly from its operational position to an access position. The swing-away stair assembly includes a pivot bracket assembly for supporting a stair body for pivotal movement on a work machine. The pivot bracket provides a pivot axis for the stair body which is located laterally outwardly from a lateral side of the work machine, and the stair body is supported for movement around a rear wheel of the work machine and is capable of 180° of pivotal movement between an operational position extending over the rear wheel and an access position displaced from the rear wheel. Although the pivot configuration disclosed by the '050 patent may permit the stair body to be pivoted away from the machine without requiring removal of a rear wheel of the machine whereby a worker may access lateral side panels adjacent to the rear wheel, the '050 patent may not provide sufficient access to frame members and portions thereof remote from the frame member and operators station at, upon, or within which the cab may be located.
The present disclosure is directed to mitigating or eliminating one or more of the drawbacks discussed above.